The Needlework and Fiber Guild of Media continues to meet monthly and have demonstrations by various members and occasionally a speaker or road trip. This month, I volunteered to show what I learned about punch needle from a class in November 2024 with Katie Kriner, Author, Fibert Artist, Shop Owner of The Bee & The Bear in Hereford, PA. I hadn’t worked on the project since then.
Meghan brought a punch needle pillow to the meeting done with chunky yarn and a big needle. She described hers, and it was probably very similar to the Oxford Punch.
I’m using the Ultra Punch needle, which seems to be the gold standard in punch needle for projects using embroidery threads. It has 12 heights to vary the length of the loops as you punch.
This design is done at level 2, which creates a higher loop than the background, which was done at level 1 and creates depth in the design. You can’t see in the photos, but you can in person and feel it.
Since I only have evenweave fabrics (weavers cloth was supplied with the kit), I cut a piece from an old sheet for me to practice on. After watching a YouTube video, I realized that I had not loaded the punch needle properly (that sample was not photographed). After that, I got the hang of it quick enough (photographed below). Following a line is tougher than you think! Once the areas get filled in, it looks smoother.
Needlepoint stitchers might find it odd that you cut ends of threads from the front. It just blends into the loops.
If you pull the thread, it can all come undone. Kristen suggested applying fusible fabric to the back would help prevent that. But I don’t think I’ll be touching it to have that happen.
The design is drawn on the back of the fabric (not photographed), and that’s where you punch as the design appears on the front (as seen in the photos). The overdyed green and light gray threads are Valdani balls of 3 stranded floss (worked as supplied, not stranded). Placing the thread balls in a small jar allows the thread to continuously feed through the needle and not roll away. You don’t cut the thread into multiple lengths as we do in needlepoint.
The overdyed dark gray for the background is Valdani #8 perle cotton.
I never expected to get this done before our meeting, and I didn’t get much of anything else done, but I finished the punching in 2 days.
The kit included the display hoop and a piece of felt to cover the back. I did a running stitch along the inside edge to gather the fabric, cut away the excess fabric, filled the width of the hoop with the excess fabric and batting, covered with magazine board, gathered the fabric, laced it flat, and glued a piece a felt on the back that came with the kit. I placed Aleene’s Fabric glue on the weavers cloth and simply pressed the felt down. It was dry in no time.
Thanks to the deadline of the demo, this completes Goal #8 for 2025!
I was asked if I plan to punch again. And, I would if I happened to see a cute design, but I don’t feel the desire to seek it out. The repetition of punching reminds me of basketweave. But, I prefer basketweave because of the lack of precision with punch needle. The loop height in punch needle has some variation, and getting stitches close enough is an issue, although both would probably improve with practice. There is also the concern that it could unravel.
Kristen said the tool has been used for Turkey work. Again, I would be concerned about unraveling.
I have (or had) 3 punch needle projects that I tried without success. They were not where I expected them to be. I was going to take them to my class. Damn, Bill was right – he said I wouldn’t be able to find them! Is it possible that I gave up on them and put them in an Ebay auction at Fireside Stitchery?
Here’s a photo of the one I picked up in 2013 at Liberty Cottage, a Folk Art Stitchery store – close to Expressions in NeedleArt in Canandaigua, NY. I know this thanks to my post https://melitastitches4fun.com/2013/07/17/needlepoint-visit-to-rochester-canandaigua-ny/. I’m happy to say both stores are still operating. I don’t get there too often but they are well worth the visit if you’re in the area (30 minutes southeast of Rochester).
I signed up for this class as soon as I saw “Punch Needle with Embroidery Floss for Beginners” would be at Mainline School Night(.org). The teacher is Katie Kriner, Author, Fibert Artist, Shop Owner of The Bee & The Bear, which I see is in Hereford, PA (about 1 hour 20 minutes north of Philadelphia-kind of between Allentown and Reading). From the photos, I would describe it as a Folk Art Stitchery store, too.
Class description: Learn to punch an intricate floral 4” embroidery hoop; choosing between various different flower colors. Leave with instruction and knowledge to punch and the tools to create your own future pieces. Class materials include an ultra punch punch needle, 7” Morgan interlocking hoop for punching, wooden display hoop, backing fabric, and floss to complete the piece.
The class was in the Creutzburg Center – 260 Gulph Creek Road (in Harford Park) Radnor, PA 19087. They hold a variety of classes there. The parking lot was full. It’s a great venue.
The Morgan hoop as a single hoop is fantastic. You can get the fabric really tight because of a ridge inside the one hoop (interlocking design). You can get a pair of 5″/7″ or 7″/10″ and make a lap stand. I’m surprised that nobody in EGA has ever mentioned these.
The ultra punch needle is the same as the one I can’t find. Perhaps I didn’t thread the needle properly. Or, perhaps I didn’t understand that you punch on the design side and that is actually the back.
This is what I got done during class (left side) and what it should end up looking like (teacher’s sample on the right).
It was a small class of 8 people and 2 hours went quickly. Katie is a mother of 2-year old twins (boy and a girl). Very nice woman. She brought some of everything from her store to entice us! I can always make a road trip to Hereford, especially if we visit our friend near Jim Thorpe.
Katie wrote a book during covid. She sells it at her store, on her website, or Amazon. She has an Etsy store. I’ll probably try her rug hooking class. It uses a different tool and yarn.
As I was finishing this post, I realized that the punch needle that I purchased should be in my infrequently used “tool” drawer in the basement cabinet. I was looking for a project. I wondered why I’d buy a peacock to punch. It was there! Now, I can punch with 2 different colors without switching threads. It’s a process to thread the punch needle. I still don’t know where those 2 little punch needle projects are hiding. Katie’s ultra punch needle came with 2 threaders, 2 springs, and 3 needles (small, medium, and large). So, I am set with equipment.
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Filed under: General comments, Needlework and Textile Guild of Media, Punch Needle, Punch Needle Demo
The Needlework and Fiber Guild of Media continues to meet monthly and have demonstrations by various members and occasionally a speaker or road trip. This month, I volunteered to show what I learned about punch needle from a class in November 2024 with Katie Kriner, Author, Fibert Artist, Shop Owner of The Bee & The Bear in Hereford, PA. I hadn’t worked on the project since then.
Meghan brought a punch needle pillow to the meeting done with chunky yarn and a big needle. She described hers, and it was probably very similar to the Oxford Punch.
I’m using the Ultra Punch needle, which seems to be the gold standard in punch needle for projects using embroidery threads. It has 12 heights to vary the length of the loops as you punch.
This design is done at level 2, which creates a higher loop than the background, which was done at level 1 and creates depth in the design. You can’t see in the photos, but you can in person and feel it.
Since I only have evenweave fabrics (weavers cloth was supplied with the kit), I cut a piece from an old sheet for me to practice on. After watching a YouTube video, I realized that I had not loaded the punch needle properly (that sample was not photographed). After that, I got the hang of it quick enough (photographed below). Following a line is tougher than you think! Once the areas get filled in, it looks smoother.
Needlepoint stitchers might find it odd that you cut ends of threads from the front. It just blends into the loops.
If you pull the thread, it can all come undone. Kristen suggested applying fusible fabric to the back would help prevent that. But I don’t think I’ll be touching it to have that happen.
The design is drawn on the back of the fabric (not photographed), and that’s where you punch as the design appears on the front (as seen in the photos). The overdyed green and light gray threads are Valdani balls of 3 stranded floss (worked as supplied, not stranded). Placing the thread balls in a small jar allows the thread to continuously feed through the needle and not roll away. You don’t cut the thread into multiple lengths as we do in needlepoint.
The overdyed dark gray for the background is Valdani #8 perle cotton.
I never expected to get this done before our meeting, and I didn’t get much of anything else done, but I finished the punching in 2 days.
The kit included the display hoop and a piece of felt to cover the back. I did a running stitch along the inside edge to gather the fabric, cut away the excess fabric, filled the width of the hoop with the excess fabric and batting, covered with magazine board, gathered the fabric, laced it flat, and glued a piece a felt on the back that came with the kit. I placed Aleene’s Fabric glue on the weavers cloth and simply pressed the felt down. It was dry in no time.
Thanks to the deadline of the demo, this completes Goal #8 for 2025!
I was asked if I plan to punch again. And, I would if I happened to see a cute design, but I don’t feel the desire to seek it out. The repetition of punching reminds me of basketweave. But, I prefer basketweave because of the lack of precision with punch needle. The loop height in punch needle has some variation, and getting stitches close enough is an issue, although both would probably improve with practice. There is also the concern that it could unravel.
Kristen said the tool has been used for Turkey work. Again, I would be concerned about unraveling.
All said, I will keep my punch needle!